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India is advancing to new heights in every sector, Prime Minister Modi says
Maintaining that 21st century India is progressing at an incredible speed and scale, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (January 9, 2025) said the country can fulfil the world’s demand for skilled talent. He was speaking after inaugurating the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
Prime Minister Modi emphasized the global recognition of Indian talent, with professionals contributing to global growth through major companies. He highlighted that India will remain the world's youngest and most skilled population for decades. “India has the potential to fulfill the world's demand for skilled talent” Prime Minister Modi asserted.
Many countries now welcome skilled Indian youth, he pointed out, adding that the Indian government is committed to ensuring that Indians going abroad are highly skilled through continuous skilling, re-skilling, and up-skilling efforts.
India is Advancing to New Heights in Every Sector
Highlighting the incredible speed and scale of development in 21st century India, the Prime Minister remarked that in just 10 years, India had lifted 250 million people out of poverty and has risen from the 10th to the 5th largest economy in the world. He expressed confidence that India will soon become the world’s 3rd largest economy.
Prime Minister Modi used the opportunity to emphasise India's achievements and referred to the Chandrayaan mission reaching the Shiv-Shakti point, and the global recognition of Digital India's strength. “India is advancing to new heights, breaking records in renewable energy, aviation, electric mobility, metro networks, and bullet train projects,” he pointed out.
“Modern India is progressing with the mantra of development and heritage”, said the Prime Minister.
Underlining India's growing global role due to its achievements and prospects, Prime Minister Modi said “Today's India not only firmly asserts its own point but also strongly amplifies the voice of the Global South”. He highlighted the unanimous support for India's proposal to make the African Union a permanent member of the G-20, emphasizing India's commitment to "Humanity First.”
‘The Future is Not in War, it is in Buddha’
Referring to Odisha as a reflection of India's rich heritage, Prime Minister Modi said Dhauli, a significant historical site in Odisha, represented the symbol of peace. In this context, he noted that Emperor Ashoka had chosen the path of peace here while the world was expanding empires through the power of the sword. This legacy inspires India to tell the world that the future lies in Buddha and not in war, he maintained. “The future lies in Buddha, not Yuddha,” he remarked.
During his address, the Prime Minister also highlighted the significant history of the Indian diaspora worldwide, emphasizing their achievements in various countries as an important part of India's heritage. “Pravasi Bharatiya Divas has become an institution to strengthen the bond between India and its diaspora,” Prime Minister Modi said.
The event, which runs from January 8 to January 10, 2025, has been jointly organised by the Ministry of External Affairs and the Odisha government. The theme of this PBD Convention is "Diaspora’s Contribution to a Viksit Bharat”.
The Chief Guest for the event was Christine Carla Kangaloo, President of the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago, who sent a video message for the gathering. A large number of Indian diaspora members from over 50 different countries are participating in the PBD Convention.
PM Modi Inaugurates Exhibitions, Flags off Special Train
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi inaugurated four exhibitions at the 18th PBD Convention. These are:
(i) Vishwaroop Ram - The Universal Legacy of Ramayana: This exhibition would present the timeless epic of Ramayana through a curated juxtaposition of traditional and contemporary art forms.
(ii) Diaspora’s Contribution to Technology and Viksit Bharat. This exhibition would acknowledge the contributions of the Indian diaspora to the development of technology in the world.
(iii) Spread and Evolution of Indian diaspora in the world with special focus on Mandvi to Muscat. This exhibition will showcase rare documents of people who had migrated from Mandvi in Gujarat to Muscat in Oman.
(iv) Heritage and Culture of Odisha: The exhibition will showcase the rich heritage and cultural traditions of Odisha through its different art and craft forms and highlight its illustrious legacy.
Prime Minister Modi also remotely flagged-off the inaugural journey of the Pravasi Bharatiya Express, a special Tourist Train for the Indian diaspora. It will depart from the Nizamuddin Railway Station in Delhi and will travel to multiple destinations of tourism and religious importance in India for a period of three weeks. The Pravasi Bharatiya Express will be conducted under the Pravasi Teertha Darshan Yojana.
The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Convention is the flagship event of the Government of India that provides an important platform to connect and engage with the Indian diaspora and enable them to interact with each other. The 18th PBD Convention is significant as it is being organized for the first time in the State of Odisha, amid its rich historical, cultural and spiritual heritage. The 17th PBD Convention was held in 2023 in Indore in partnership with the State Government of Madhya Pradesh.
Prime Minister Modi emphasized the global recognition of Indian talent, with professionals contributing to global growth through major companies. He highlighted that India will remain the world's youngest and most skilled population for decades. “India has the potential to fulfill the world's demand for skilled talent” Prime Minister Modi asserted.
Many countries now welcome skilled Indian youth, he pointed out, adding that the Indian government is committed to ensuring that Indians going abroad are highly skilled through continuous skilling, re-skilling, and up-skilling efforts.
India is Advancing to New Heights in Every Sector
Highlighting the incredible speed and scale of development in 21st century India, the Prime Minister remarked that in just 10 years, India had lifted 250 million people out of poverty and has risen from the 10th to the 5th largest economy in the world. He expressed confidence that India will soon become the world’s 3rd largest economy.
Prime Minister Modi used the opportunity to emphasise India's achievements and referred to the Chandrayaan mission reaching the Shiv-Shakti point, and the global recognition of Digital India's strength. “India is advancing to new heights, breaking records in renewable energy, aviation, electric mobility, metro networks, and bullet train projects,” he pointed out.
“Modern India is progressing with the mantra of development and heritage”, said the Prime Minister.
Underlining India's growing global role due to its achievements and prospects, Prime Minister Modi said “Today's India not only firmly asserts its own point but also strongly amplifies the voice of the Global South”. He highlighted the unanimous support for India's proposal to make the African Union a permanent member of the G-20, emphasizing India's commitment to "Humanity First.”
‘The Future is Not in War, it is in Buddha’
Referring to Odisha as a reflection of India's rich heritage, Prime Minister Modi said Dhauli, a significant historical site in Odisha, represented the symbol of peace. In this context, he noted that Emperor Ashoka had chosen the path of peace here while the world was expanding empires through the power of the sword. This legacy inspires India to tell the world that the future lies in Buddha and not in war, he maintained. “The future lies in Buddha, not Yuddha,” he remarked.
During his address, the Prime Minister also highlighted the significant history of the Indian diaspora worldwide, emphasizing their achievements in various countries as an important part of India's heritage. “Pravasi Bharatiya Divas has become an institution to strengthen the bond between India and its diaspora,” Prime Minister Modi said.
The event, which runs from January 8 to January 10, 2025, has been jointly organised by the Ministry of External Affairs and the Odisha government. The theme of this PBD Convention is "Diaspora’s Contribution to a Viksit Bharat”.
The Chief Guest for the event was Christine Carla Kangaloo, President of the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago, who sent a video message for the gathering. A large number of Indian diaspora members from over 50 different countries are participating in the PBD Convention.
PM Modi Inaugurates Exhibitions, Flags off Special Train
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi inaugurated four exhibitions at the 18th PBD Convention. These are:
(i) Vishwaroop Ram - The Universal Legacy of Ramayana: This exhibition would present the timeless epic of Ramayana through a curated juxtaposition of traditional and contemporary art forms.
(ii) Diaspora’s Contribution to Technology and Viksit Bharat. This exhibition would acknowledge the contributions of the Indian diaspora to the development of technology in the world.
(iii) Spread and Evolution of Indian diaspora in the world with special focus on Mandvi to Muscat. This exhibition will showcase rare documents of people who had migrated from Mandvi in Gujarat to Muscat in Oman.
(iv) Heritage and Culture of Odisha: The exhibition will showcase the rich heritage and cultural traditions of Odisha through its different art and craft forms and highlight its illustrious legacy.
Prime Minister Modi also remotely flagged-off the inaugural journey of the Pravasi Bharatiya Express, a special Tourist Train for the Indian diaspora. It will depart from the Nizamuddin Railway Station in Delhi and will travel to multiple destinations of tourism and religious importance in India for a period of three weeks. The Pravasi Bharatiya Express will be conducted under the Pravasi Teertha Darshan Yojana.
The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Convention is the flagship event of the Government of India that provides an important platform to connect and engage with the Indian diaspora and enable them to interact with each other. The 18th PBD Convention is significant as it is being organized for the first time in the State of Odisha, amid its rich historical, cultural and spiritual heritage. The 17th PBD Convention was held in 2023 in Indore in partnership with the State Government of Madhya Pradesh.
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